Nature and Your Mental Health

How does nature affect our emotional health?

Do you have any memories of playing in the grass?  Or the first time you paid attention to the tide or the sound of the ocean?  Perhaps you recall identifying shapes in the clouds. I recall sitting on the front steps during a snowstorm, experiencing the silence.  All of these experiences are examples of how nature affects our emotional health.  

Do you actively access nature in your day to day life?  There is mounting evidence to support seeking time in nature and its beneficial effects on us.  

You may say you don’t have time to go for a hike in the woods.  You may say you don’t like nature.  What resonates with one person may be different from another.  Some people prefer snow in the mountains, others might prefer a babbling brook, another might like a star lit sky.  Nature exists in enough forms for you to find the thing that allows you to feel at peace - and that is the point, ultimately.

Nature allows us to be present.  Nature provides us the opportunity to focus on pleasant, relaxing things that take us out of our heads.  

Mindfulness isn’t for me…

The concept of mindfulness seems to elude people.  We believe it's for yogis or for hippies (two groups of people I love).  We associate meditation with religious practices.  In  short, we have beliefs that make the concept of mindfulness inaccessible to us.  I was guilty of this early in my career but mostly because I had poor concentration and so when I attended seminars that included group relaxation techniques and encouraged meditation - it was too difficult, so I just chalked it up to not being for me.  The truth is that meditation includes many things but primarily it is the practice of repeating a phrase or idea to the exclusion of other thoughts.  When we meditate, or focus on the sound of the ocean or focus on the sound of the wind - we are focused.  When we can focus on one thing for a period of time we are not hearing the noise that invariably exists in the heads of many hardworking men and women who maintain busy schedules and carry out obligations to family, friends, employers and everyone else we are focused on.  

To those who say its too hard to get out in nature:

Nature is a very accessible form of meditative activity because for many of us, if we find the type of nature that we enjoy and we can enjoy it in relative peace - it allows us to slow down the chatter in our minds and have a moment of relaxation.

What does it do for us?

I have had clients tell me that they are more clear headed in nature.  They notice that their nervous systems are calm.  We tend to underestimate how urban  or even crowded suburban living can be an overload for our nervous systems.  We are constantly being stimulated by sounds and sights.  The evidence continues to grow.  Nature can lower blood pressure.  It can lower the presence of cortisol in our systems.  As you may know, cortisol is a stress hormone that through evolution had a very important role in preparing us for danger.  In modern society we don’t frequently need to run from lions but we do experience stress that causes our systems to go into overdrive.  Some of us actually go into fight or flight mode.  

So what’s so bad about stress?

Let’s not confuse motivation or drive with stress.  Stress is a response to a potential threat or perception of danger.  But when our brains register a threat of some sort, our bodily systems respond as well.  This can be in the form of high blood pressure, heightened cortisol levels can result in changes to our immune function and metabolism.  Stress can even affect how our bodies process insulin.  This means that excess stress can cause or exacerbate hypertension, diabetic insulin resistance and our ability to maintain a healthy weight. Stress management in the form of exposure to nature can be a pleasant way to keep our stress levels in check.

Where to go and what to do?

If you live in a densely populated urban area, you may feel challenged to find a natural setting that is easily accessible and not too crowded.  In Northern NJ, for example, you might believe that nature is too hard to find.  But even in places like Newark and Paterson, there are beautiful natural settings where you can go to clear your head, fill your lungs with fresh air and feel connected to nature.  The Great Falls in Paterson is a National Park open to the public and it is second in size to Niagara falls. Newark has its spectacular Cherry Blossoms in Spring.  NJ has a network of county park systems with walking and hiking trails (maps are available online).  

If you don’t like the idea of hiking because you feel it's more strenuous than you’d like, you may go to a nature preserve - generally speaking you can walk into these environments and be among trees and wildlife without having to trek into the woods.  You can go out on a lake, you can go to a beach, you can go to a park and stare up into the clouds.  Take a drive in the country, go up into the mountains.  Wherever it is, give yourself the time to be still and listen to the sounds around you.  If green spaces are too hard for you to get to, there are many apps and you tube channels that can bring the natural world to you.  You can search up ‘nature sounds’, throw on some headphones and close your eyes, imagining the natural setting you are listening to.  

Humans are wired to connect with nature.  We benefit from connection to the natural world, maybe it’s gardening in your backyard, or going to a local park.  Maybe it’s a duck pond or an environmental center - whatever it is - get out there and experience the benefits!